The present invention relates to steering columns and more particularly to a system for attaching a steering column assembly to, and releasing the steering column assembly from, a structure of a vehicle.
Market forces are inducing vehicle suppliers to seek ways of meeting the sometimes conflicting desires to incorporate new features into the areas surrounding the vehicle steering column while also providing more compact vehicles. As a result, demands for space surrounding the steering column have increased while the space available has decreased. In particular, it is becoming more and more common for the space above and below the column to be limited. These space-based constraints have posed challenges to designers seeking to meet requirements relating to structural attachment of the steering column to the vehicle, to safety and reliability, and also to convenience. In particular, consumer desires for the ability to adjust positioning of the steering column have not decreased to accommodate the above-described increasing demands for space.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have improved systems and methods for selectively fixing and releasing a steering column while also providing for safe and reliable structural attachment of the steering column within reduced spaces above and beneath the steering column. It is also desirable to have a system and method for selectively fixing and releasing a steering column wherein the clamping hardware is disposed primarily toward a side of the steering column (e.g., arranged substantially horizontally from a centerline of the steering column).